Nipp History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

Nipp comes from the kingdom of Dalriada in ancient Scotland. It was a name for a person who worked as a person at a royal court who was in charge of the tablecloths and linen, which were collectively called the napery. "In England, in the reign of Henry I, William de Hastings held the manor of Ashele in Norfolk by the service of taking charge of the napery, i.e. tablecloths and linen at the coronation of the English kings. The first record of the name in Scotland is c. 1290 when John Naper obtained from Malcolm, earl of Lennox, a charter of the quarter-land called Kylmethew. This John Naper is included in the inhibition by the bishop of Glasgow directed against Malcolm, earl of Lennoy and his adherents in 1294 and is doubtless the John le Naper of the county of Dunbretan who rendered homage in 1296." 1

Early Origins of the Nipp family

The surname Nipp was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland.

"A Scottish legend, however, assigns a widely different origin. In a great battle between the Scots and some enemy, whose nation is not specified, the former were on the point of losing the day, when one Donald, son of the then Earl of Lennox, seized a standard, and rallied the retreating soldiers. This act of prowess changed the positions of the combatants, and resulted in the complete triumph of the Scots. The king on hearing of Donald's bravery, declared that he had NA PIER "no equal"; commanded him to assume those words as a surname; and gave him lands in Fife, and the lands of Goffurdor Goosford." 2

This "legend" may not be a legend but in fact based on truth as both aforementioned versions of the family's origin agree that the family descend from the house of Lennox and their forebears used the name Lenox alias Napier.

Yet another source claims that "It is said that Donald, a son of the Earl of Lennox, for his bravery in battle, had his name changed by the king to Napier. After the battle, as the manner is, every one advancing and setting forth his own acts, the king said unto them, 'Ye have all done valiantly, but there is one among you who hath 'Na Pier, ' ' and the king gave him lands in Fife and Goffurd. " 3

Suffice to say, the family's allegiance and fierce battle strength without fear, cannot be in question. Further to the south in England, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had two entries for the family, both in Oxfordshire: Jordan le Nappere and Thomas le Nappere. 4

Early History of the Nipp family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nipp research. Another 316 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1239, 1280, 1294, 1308, 1401, 1437, 1440, 1451, 1550, 1560, 1603, 1606, 1610, 1617, 1625, 1637, 1642, 1660, 1661, 1673, 1683, 1690, 1698, 1700 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Nipp History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nipp Spelling Variations

Historical recordings of the name Nipp include many spelling variations. They are the result of repeated translations of the name from Gaelic to English and inconsistencies in spelling rules. They include Napier, Naper, Napper, Naiper, Napeer, Neaper and others.

Early Notables of the Nipp family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was George Napper (Napier) (1550-1610), an English Roman Catholic priest, a Catholic martyr, beatified by Pope Pius XI; John Napier (1550-1617), a famed mathematician and inventor of logarithms, this eighth laird of Merchiston was also extremely involved in religious debates (he was a staunch anti-Catholic) and was an inventor of military devices, such as a horse-drawn tank and a type of submarine; Sir Robert Napier, 1st Baronet (1560-1637), of Luton Hoo in Bedfordshire, an English merchant; Sir Robert Napier, 2nd Baronet (c. 1603-1661), of...
Another 90 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Nipp Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nipp Ranking

In the United States, the name Nipp is the 15,098^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Nipp family to Ireland

Some of the Nipp family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Nipp family

Many who arrived from Scotland settled along the east coast of North America in communities that would go on to become the backbones of the young nations of the United States and Canada. In the American War of Independence, many settlers who remained loyal to England went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Their descendants later began to recover the lost Scottish heritage through events such as the highland games that dot North America in the summer months. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Nipp family emigrate to North America: Patrick Napier settled in Virginia in 1655; John Napier settled in Philadelphia in 1798; Charles Napier settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1823.

Contemporary Notables of the name Nipp (post 1700) +

John Nipp, American politician, Representative from Indiana 6th District, 1900 6

The Nipp Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Sans tache
Motto Translation: Without stain

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html